Condenser, cooler, and absorber



April 5,1927. 5

' C. F. BRAUN CONDENSER, COOLER, AND ABSORBER Filed Feb. '7", 1925CARLZBRAUM as a condenser having an outer cylindrical she Patented 7Apr.

funran QSTLATES r. nnaiirm'or'rasnnnna, curronnm.

CONDENSER, COOLEI B AND ABSORBER.

- Application as an -1, 1923. Serial raj-swans.

This inventimr. relates to a condenser,

cooler-and absorber of the'general type in-'- dicated in my co ndingapplication entitled.v

Condenser, filed une 29, 1921, and'be'aring 5 i the Serial No. 481 287,the condenser in that instance heing of the vertical type, while inpresent case the structure is of the hori-' Itis the principal object ofthe presentinvention to provide a tubular horizontal condenser in'whicha desired ratio of condensate cooling surface to vapor condensationsurface is obtained; and in which there will be no possibility for thecondensate to escape 5 without being properly cooled.

The present invention contemplates the "construction of a condenserhaving a cylindrical horizontally disposed shell inclosing alongitudinall exte'n ing tubenest which tubes are divi ed into twoparallel groups by a central partition wall extendingsubstantially-the-leilgth of the shell, the shell being fitted withspaced transverse bafile members so constructed and arranged 'as toimpart turbulence to vapors flowing through the shell and soproportioned that aproper ratio of condensing surface and condensatecooling surface will be established throughout the length of thecondenser.

. ample in the accompanying drawings, in

4 which: 2

Fig. 1: is a viewin. longitudinal section through 'a battery ofcondensers embodying the present invention. I

Fig. 2 is a view .in transverse section through one'of thecondensersshowing the manner-in which equalization of cooling and condensingsurfaces is broughnabout, and 40 also disclosing the means by which thepassageways within the shell'are separated.

In considering the present inventlonitis to be borne inmind that thesecondensers are especially adapted for use in oil refining l5 and similarindustrial processes", where the usual steam condenser used as a; vaporcondenser has proven a failure. This is due to 4 the fact that the ratioof condensate cooling surface to condensation surface is insuflh socient with the result that the condensate is not cooled to a lowtemperature, and for the added reason that the vapors and fluidsstratify in the circulating tubes. This is overcome in the present caseby COIlStl'llCtlIlfi The invention is-illustrated by way of ex ing thevapor openings along the portions of 10 inclosing a tube nest 11. Thistube nest is rigidly secured at one endof the shell and communicateswith a head 12. The head is fitted with a pair of ports, one conductingacooling medium to the tubes and the other one carrying it away from thecondenser after it has circulated the length of the condenser and hasreturned. Vapors are admitted through an induction passageway 13 andpass from the condenser througheduction passageway 14. The shellisocentrally divided by a horizontally extending partition '15, whichpartition extends from a point of abutment against thev fixed tube-sheet to a terminating point near the opposite end of theshell.Referring to s Fig. 2, it will be seen that the partition is formed by aplurality of relatively thin spaced plates. These plates are of greaterwidth than the diameter of the shell and ez'c tend into diametricallyopposite grooves in the wall of the shell, By this method the effect ofso-called labyrinth packing is ob-' which the tubes and the vapors passand by which the vapors are given a turbulent action. This will insurethat the fluids within the shell will be thoroughly agitated andthatthey will come into intimate contact with the cooling surfaces toensure a high degree of absorption effect-due to the fact that thebattle plates are formed with openings through which the vapors mustpass and" by which turbulence'will be created in the flowing stream ofvapor, thus agitating the vapor in a manner to disturb its flow andtorecurrently bring the vapors into contact with the cooling surfaces. g I

In order to insure that the condensate may battle plates may be designedto form dams. As seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings, each of the battleplates 16 is formed wit pass, and in the edge of which openings coolingtubes ll are positioned.- By eliminatbe cooled to a desired lowtemperature, the

a plurality of openings 17 through which vapors may i the bailie platesadjacent the partition 15 and the lowermost portion of the shell wall,it will be seen that permanent dams will he formed'by a part of thebattle plates, and that a. predetermined number of cool ing tubes willextend through the bathe plate portions which act as dams. Thuscondensate accumulating between the transverse battles will flow ontothe partition 15 in passageway A or onto the floor of the shell inpassageway B. When there is an excess accumulation of condensate, itslevel will reach the lowermost rows of openings 17 in the baffle platesa' l will overflow into the next suc-' ceeding space between the battleplates. This overflow will continue until the last battle plate in theupper passageway A has-been reached when the condensate will overflowthe battle plate indicated as 16' in the drawings, and will flow ontothe bottom of the shell forming the floor of the return passageway B.The condensate will gradually overflow the dams formed by the successivebatfies, and will eventually be drained out. through the drain 14 and bedrawn off through a suitable trap not shown in the drawings. These damswill impound the condensate which is formed between the ba tfie latesand will cause it to accumulate to sucli a depth as is required toimmerse a desired number of cooling tubes, thus presenting a requiredarea of cooling surface to the volume of condensate which will accumulate. Thus in the design of the structure, a definite ratio ofcondensate cooling surface and vapor condensing'surface may bedetermined, and by the construction of the battle plates and thedistribution of the tubes, this ratio may be constantly maintainedduring the operation of the apparatus. Attention is directed to the factthatin-ordinary condensation systems using steam boxes and the like, thecondensate accumulates in large volumes and is entirely outv ofproportion to the amount of cooling surface provided, and thus does nothave the opportunity to receive the maximum cooling efi'ect derived frommore intimate contact with the large area of surface of the coolingtubes as provided in the present instance. FurthermOIG by the presentarrangemont,.the surface of the cooling tubes may be apportioned for usein bringing about a condensathm action of the vapor and for cooling thecondensation, these apportionments being in proper ratio to insure amaximum condensation, cooling and absorption. action.

In operation of the present invention the condenser is assembled asshown in the drawing, and a vapor admitted to the shell th'rough inletpassageway I23. thereafter travelling the length of the shell alongpassage A. During this time the vapors will pass through openings in thevarious transverse bafile plates at the same time circulating around andalongthe cooling tubes. This will bring about a partial condensation ofvapors which condensate will fall onto the longitudinal partition 15.The portions of the halite plates adjacent the longitudinal partitionare so designed as to cause a desirefl accumulation of condensatebetween the battles thus submerging the lowermost tubes. The uncondensedvapors will flow the length of the shell, thereafter passing around theend of the partition 15 and returning along the lower passageway B. Thispassageway is also designed to insure that the condensate will beimpounded at intervals and a desired cooling eti'ect produced. Attentionis directed to the fact that the vapors passing along the upper passagway A will be confined within this passageway until they reach the endthereof. and that the partition will act as an etl'cctivibarrier betweenpassageways A and B. .'lbis action is brought about due to the fact thatthe vapors would have a circuitous path of travel 'in order to passaround the edges of the partition plates and across' the series of plategrooves in the opposite faces of the shell. The leakage will also befurther resisted by the counter pressure of fluid which may accumulatein the space between the plates of the )artitions since the fluidtrapped between tlie plates and the longitudinal partition will tend toform a seal in the joint between the partition plates and the shellwall, and will in the case when viscous liquids are used, cause a bodyof liquid to be created between the two passageways of the shell, andwhich liquid will have a lower temperature than that of one passagewayand a higher temperature than that of another passageway due to itsintermediate position. Its viscosity will, therefore, tend to preventtheflow of the liquids and at the same time will form a body of liquidhaving a temperature intermediate of the liquids in the two passageways,thus tending to prevent appreciable transfer of heat from one passagewayto the other.

It will thus be seen that the invention here disclosed provides suitablemeans for insuring that a proper proportion of condensation coolingsurface will be maintained in relation to the condensing surface andalso in relation to the condensate. and it will be further seen that thepartition construction here embodied insures that there will besubstantially no leakage of vapor between the passageways of thecondenser.

\Vhile I have shown the preferred form of my invention as now known tome, it will be understood that various changes might be made inthecombination. construction and arrangement of parts by those skilledin the art. without departing from the spirit of the invention asclaimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

l. A condenser comprising an outer shell extending horizontally, acentral longitudinally extending partitionwall forming parallelpassageways within said shell, a tube nest comprising two groups oftubes, one extending longitudinall of each passageway, and transverse bae plates having iin perforate portions for maintaining a direct ratiobetween the cooling and condensing surfaces. 2. A heat exchangercomprising an outer shell, a air of parallel passageways within saidshell communicating with induction and eduction ports at one end oftheshell and with each other at the opposite end of the shell, :1 tubenest extending longitudinally of both passageways and through which acooling medium may. flow in a counterdirection, transverse bafilesdisposed across the passageways at intervals throughout the lengths ofthe tubesand throu h which the tubes extend, and openings t rough saidbullies for permitting vapors to pass through the shell and for iinrting turbulence to the vapors, said openings being arranged apredetermined distance above the floors of the passageways so thatportions of the baffle plates wil act to impound thecondensateaccumulating between adjacent bafiie plates and cause it to accumulateto a desired level and to submerge a predetermined area of coolingsurfs-coin the condensate, whereby the condensate will be cooled and anexposed area of ii uid will be provided over the surface of w ich thevapors pass, and between tendin which vapors and liquids an absorptionaction will take place;

3. In a heat exchanger, or like structure, a longitudinal partitionforming parallel passageways within the shell, said partition comprisinga pair of parallel spaced plates,

grooves formed in inner face of the parti-. tion wall for separatelyreceiving the edges.

of said plates, whereby the plates will create a substantially ti htjoint with the wall of l form a dead fluid space parallel grooves alongthe inner face of its side wall and along which the edges of saidpartition plates may be slidably positioned.

5. In a heat exchanger, or like structure, a tube nest extending lon'tudinally thereof and slidably positionedt erein, a partition wallstructure carried with said tube nest,

whereby the tubes of the nest will be divided into oups and the interiorof the shell will be divided into longitudinally extending parallelpassageways, said partition structure comprising arallel plates spacedat relatively small distance apart and slidinginto separate parallelgrooves along the shell wall, whereby substantially tight 'oints willbeformed between the plates an the wall and a substantial dead fluidspace will be formed between the plates.

CARL F. BRAUN.

